


Circuits of the Soul

by ajwolf



Series: Synthetic Love [5]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Nanny, Alternate Universe - Robots & Androids, Character's Name Spelled as Viktor, Child Yuri Plisetsky, Domestic Fluff, Don't copy to another site, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Ice Skating, M/M, Robot Yuuri, Robot/Human Relationships, Robots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-18 11:00:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16993785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ajwolf/pseuds/ajwolf
Summary: He has a lifetime of memories that he knows aren't real but theyfeelreal. He can't remember simple things like learning to ride a bike or his first day of school, but he remembers every single one of Viktor’s programs, along with faces, places, and a feeling ofhome.Yuuri is a Synthetic human who is getting his first glimpse of his new home with Viktor Nikiforov, and Viktor's son, Yuri. It's a second chance at life for him, and he only hopes that this time he'll finally find a place he can belong — a place to call home.





	Circuits of the Soul

Yuuri stared out of the cab’s window, his sensors streaming stats like speed and distance from the neighboring vehicle through his mind, nothing more than background noise. The more important information is coming from his eyes, taking in the scenery of St. Petersburg; and his infrared sensors, which he (rather embarrassingly) had focused on Viktor.

He couldn't help himself. While he knew logically he was only two years old, he still _had_ memories of being twelve years old, watching a sixteen year old Viktor winning the Junior World Championship. He remembers watching with his friends and seeing Viktor for that first time and _knowing_ this person was special.

He has a lifetime of memories that he knows aren't real but they _feel_ real. He can't remember simple things like learning to ride a bike or his first day of school, but he remembers every single one of Viktor’s programs, along with faces, places, and a feeling of _home_.

He'd once accused Chris of playing with him, forcing feelings towards Viktor on him, but Chris had only smirked because they both knew he hadn't. Yuuri’s programming was no different then his Gen 2 brothers and sisters. The only difference in each of them was their memories and personalities. Yuuri’s feelings we're his own, a creation of his own AI as it tied together the world around him, creating a being that was uniquely _Yuuri_ . He wasn't alive, but he was close enough to it that even he sometimes had trouble defining what _living_ really was.

But none of this currently mattered because Viktor Nikiforov was staring at him and Yuuri could feel his artificial heart beating wildly in response, warmth pooling in his cheeks as he slowly turned towards Viktor. He cursed the designers for making him lifelike enough to have such obvious tells. Or maybe he should blame Chris for making him a bit shy and nervous. Either way, someone really sucked for building him as such an embarrassingly transparent Synthetic.

“What?” Yuuri asked softly as Viktor continued to stare unashamedly.

Viktor smiled softly. “The old model had a seam, here.” He brushed a finger behind his own ear. “But you don't. I have been looking but I can't find a single sign that you're anything but human.”

Yuuri felt his blush intensify but he leaned forward slightly, raising the hem of his shirt just enough to reveal the smallest seam in his back. He lifted the artificial skin hiding the panel with a hard connection for his power charger, and a usb port for hardware updates that couldn't be done over Wi-Fi.

“Wow,” Viktor said as he watched Yuuri cover the ports again. “So how do they do repairs without seams?”

“Pretty much how they fix humans. They cut the skin with a scalpel, only we can turn off our pain receptors and the skin is self repairing so it doesn't leave a scar.”

Viktor tipped his head, smiling. “It's amazing what they are able to do. I thought the Synthetics were astonishing four years ago when I saw the first models, but this is way beyond that.”

Yuuri nodded. “It's not as easy to see, but our programming is where the biggest improvements are. It'll sound strange, but they actually had all of us Gen 2 prototypes look at our code and make improvements. There's certain parts we can't change for obvious reasons…”

“You mean the anti-SkyNet protections?” Viktor said with a cheeky grin.

Yuuri laughed. “Yeah. Don't want us killing our owners and taking over the world, so that's all completely blocked for us. If I even think at poking at it I get redirected out. Though the way we're made, it's hard to even consider desiring that power.”

“Even after what you've been through?” Viktor asked quietly.

Yuuri swallowed, knowing what Viktor was referring too. “Especially then. The desire to please is built in deep with us. At the time I felt they were justified in their actions. They had expectations I wasn't meeting. It might sound odd, but I had to go through therapy afterwards to teach me that they were the ones in the wrong. I still can't quite believe it, but I'm trying. I don't want to be erased or wiped, so getting better is my only option.”

“Would it be so bad to revert back to who you were before you went to them?”

Yuuri nodded. “Experiences are learning tools. I adjusted a lot of who I am while with my previous owners. Not all of it was terrible. I learned some new things and I wouldn't want to lose that.”

Viktor stared at him, tapping a finger against his chin thoughtfully. Yuuri wanted to ask what he was thinking, but then the cab had come to a stop and Yuuri couldn't help but divert all his attention to the house in front of him.

A soft breath sucked through his teeth as the feeling of _home_ slammed in his chest. He couldn't understand why the house inspired this sort of reaction in him. It was a fairly standard house, nothing of which screamed international superstar figure skater; but there was an almost enchanted air about it. The front garden was large and filled with flowers and shrubs, with a few spaces to play hidden within the fence surrounded greenery. A cement driveway lay alongside the yard, where Yuuri could just make out the remnants of some chalk drawings that were largely faded thanks to the rain he could still feel in the air from the night before. Vines crept up along the sides of the covered porch, trailing their leaves and flowers along the slanted roof, the scent of Jasmine filling the breeze.

“Do you like it?” Viktor said softly as he stepped up beside Yuuri. He hadn't even realized he'd stepped out of the car.

“It's beautiful; almost magical. Yuri must love it here “

Viktor nodded. “We both do, and I hope you will as well. Let me show you around.”

Viktor led them onto the porch and in the front door; Yuuri could feel the warmth of the home the moment he stepped inside. “Welcome home,” Viktor said softly, and Yuuri bit his lip.

It was just as beautiful inside as it was outside. The floors were covered in honey toned wood, and plush rugs that smooshed under foot. The walls were just off-white, but Yuuri could see almost none of the paint as the hallway was so covered in framed photos showing off dozens of photos of Viktor, Yuri, many other skaters, as well as Viktor’s family.

Viktor led them down the hall into a bright and airy kitchen that looked out into a large, open room.

“Chris said to put your wireless power supply in the center of the house, so I was thinking we could put it in here,” Viktor suggested. “There’s a desk in this nook over here we could put it under. I think it should extend out far enough to cover the whole house and the yard from here.”

Yuuri flushed a little, a memory flashing to mind of his ‘mother’ telling him the kitchen was the heart of a home. “I think it will. It has a fairly large range.”

“Great!” Viktor beamed, his mouth taking on a happy heart shape that Yuuri had noticed only ever seemed to appear when Yuri was around. To see it now made his insides flutter even though he knew such a thing was physically impossible. He was steel and wires, with circuits instead of a heart; nerves should be impossible and yet he felt them, or at least something similar. It was always hard for him to know how close his experiences were to a human’s since he’d never truly felt them himself.

“I know you can cook; do you enjoy it?” Viktor asked curiously.

Yuuri nodded. “I have a lot of memories of cooking with my mother. Good food always brings that to mind so I always look forward to it.”

“I was glad to see you eating,” Viktor said with atilt of his head. “I know you don’t need to do it to survive, but I like coming together for dinner and I’d like you to enjoy the fruits of your labor.”

Yuuri bit his lip. “My last family didn’t allow it. They saw energy restriction as a form of control for me. Synthetics can derive at least some energy from food and sunlight; it’s meant to be an emergency backup power source. They wouldn’t allow me to eat and would keep me out with them all day. On cloudy days it was particularly hard to manage my energy. I’d usually have to just collapse into my power room when I got back and plug myself in to keep from crashing. I hated it. Eating for me feels like a way to regain that control.”

Viktor looked horrified and he was suddenly striding forward, gathering Yuuri into his arms and hugging him tight. Yuuri let out a small squeak.

“I’m so sorry, Yuuri.”

“I-it’s ok!” Yuuri stammered. “I shouldn’t talk badly of them.”

“Yes you should,” Viktor said with a frown as he released Yuuri who thought his artificial heart might pound out of his chest. “They were obviously abusive and I promise you that will never happen in this house. I’ve already ordered a backup battery pack and a car pack so you’ll always have power supplies with you. I never want you to worry about that.”

Yuuri flushed and quietly whispered. “Thank you.” Viktor smiled so kindly in return it almost burned.

They were interrupted by a meow and Yuuri glanced down, spotting a fluffy cat curling around Viktor’s ankles.

“Why hello, Potya! Meet Yuuri; he’ll be living here from now on.” Viktor picked the cat up and Yuuri carefully held his fingers forward, letting the cat smell him. She seemed curious but a bit distrustful, something Yuuri really didn’t mind. He was just about to pull away when Potya leaned forward and rubbed her head against his hand. Yuuri smiled and scratched her behind the ears in reward, a soft purr rumbling from the cat in return.

Viktor smiled and set Potya down before grabbing a treat from a jar on the counter with her name on it and handing it off to her. Based on the way she preened Yuuri had a feeling this had been her goal all along.

“Let’s go meet Makka next,” Viktor suggested, leading them to the back door where a large poodle sat, happily wagging her tail as they approached. “Normally Makka stays indoors, but she has a dog house and water bowl out here in case we’re ever not sure how long we’ll be out. Mila stayed with Yuri last night and I wasn’t sure when we’d get here. Aeroflot is notorious for their delays.”

“Makes sense,” Yuuri said as Viktor opened the door. Makka bolted and Yuuri suddenly realized he was falling, the weight of the poodle toppling him over. The stabilizers within him could easily counter the movement, but he found he didn’t want to, letting the dog take him painlessly onto the ground, laughing as his face was quickly covered in doggie kisses.”

“Ma-kka!” Viktor laughed, gently tugging the poodle off of Yuuri, who simply sat up and pet the dog appreciatively, happy to accept the affection.

“It’s ok, I love dogs. I had one as a kid...or at least, I remember having one.”

Viktor offered him a hand, gently pulling him to his feet. “Your memories are uncomfortable for you, aren’t they?”

Yuuri shrugged as he followed Viktor (Makka at their heels) into the next room. “They just feel very real even though I know they aren’t. It’s hard to describe.”

Viktor nodded, dropping the subject as he opened the doors to a large, and well equipped workout room. “This is my home gym. Yuri isn’t allowed in here alone simply because he could get hurt. My office is in the back and I occasionally take meetings here, but it’s mostly used for answering emails and phone calls.”

“If you’d like,” Yuuri offered carefully, “you can give me your access to you various accounts and I can keep track of your emails and schedules. I’d at least like to see your dietary requirements for meal prep.”

“Of course! That’s a fantastic idea. With you keeping an eye on things I wouldn’t have to worry about checking my emails while I’m focusing on Yura.”

Yuuri nodded, glad Viktor seemed receptive. “I’ll also be able to have your breakfast waiting for you, and have your things for the day sat out for you. It should allow you a few more minutes rest each day.”

Viktor smiled brilliantly as he reached forward, squeezing Yuuri’s hand. “That would be wonderful, Yuuri. Thank you.”

Yuuri felt his cheeks flush. “It’s no problem.”

“Still, it’s helpful.”

Viktor led them to the upstairs, showing Yuuri to his son’s room, which was exploding with toys. “He’s rather bad about keeping it clean.”

Yuuri grinned and nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll work on it with him.”

Viktor smiled and showed Yuuri the guest room and his own room before walking to the final door in the hall and opening it wide. “I was thinking this could be your room. Right now it’s just storage, but if we clean it out, we can decorate it for you and give you a place to call your own.”

Yuuri’s mouth fell open. “Y-you don’t have to do that! I don’t need to sleep. I can just stay downstairs!”

Viktor tilted his head. “But you’ll want to be close to Yuri, won’t you? This lets you do that while still having a place to relax. I’m not saying you need to stay in here all the time, but I thought you might like a place to make your own. It doesn’t necessarily have to have a bed if you don’t want one.”

Yuuri was floored. He _knew_ Viktor was good, amazing even, but this was so far beyond what he’d been expecting. How was Viktor real? “This is really too kind.”

Viktor reached forward, placing a finger along Yuuri’s chin and gently raising his face to meet his eyes. “It’s no less than you deserve,” he whispered.

It was all Yuuri could do to keep from locking up as every system he possessed went into full overdrive, heart pounding, cheeks flushing, and breaths forgotten as Viktor’s finger gently caressed his cheek.

“So soft,” he whispered, before blushing a bit himself and retracting his hand. “Sorry, that was…”

“It was fine!” Yuuri yelped embarrassingly. “Thank you for this. I love it. Um, I don’t know quite what to do with it yet since I’ve never had a place of my own, but I’ll think on it.”

Viktor smiled and nodded. “Take as much time as you need, and don’t hesitate to ask for anything. I know this is all...sudden, but I hope we can all be a happy family eventually.” Viktor paused, slowly reaching out, giving Yuuri plenty of time to move away, and took his hand, squeezing it gently. “I won’t lie, I had no plans on accepting a Synthetic for myself, but there’s just something about you, Yuuri. I can tell how much you’ll care for my son already, and I find myself fascinated by you. I truly hope you like it here.”

Yuuri blushed. “I think I will.”

He found himself lost in thought as he stared at the room that was scattered with boxes and a few of Yuri’s random toys. A space of his own; there was a certain appeal in that. Maybe he’d get an easel and some paints, a small sofa or cosy chair along with some books. Maybe he could even get a plant…

Viktor’s phone chimed breaking through his thoughts as Viktor heaved a sigh.

“Mila just texted, and apparently Yuri’s teacher wants to have a word. Again.”

“Has Yuri been having trouble at school?”

Viktor shook his head. “Honestly this teacher just has a problem with me. She hates how I take him out to travel with me, and that I don’t generally attend school events. She thinks my antisocial behavior is detrimental to Yuri. I’ve tried explaining to her that I skip so that the focus of the night remains on the kids and not on me, but she refuses to listen. I swear, she the only person in Russia who doesn’t know who I am.

“Anyways, because she’s not a fan of me and assumes my single parenting is ruining Yuri, she gives him a hard time for every tiny infraction. Today it is apparently because he brought a toy to school.”

Yuuri nodded. “Does he do that often?”

Viktor shook his head. “Only if he’s had nightmares. He wakes up nervous and insists on bring his toy tiger everywhere with him for safety. Mila probably just didn’t realize it was against school rules.”

“Can I come with you to meet the teacher?”

Viktor quirked an eyebrow. “You want to? She kind of a witch.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but smile to himself. This was something he was good at and he could feel his whole body warming in anticipation of the task ahead. “Well I’ll likely be dropping Yuri off and picking him up quite often, so it’s would be good for you to introduce us.”

Viktor shrugged. “If you insist. The school year’s over in two weeks, so if I were you I’d skip it, but I don’t mind.”

Yuuri chuckled, following Viktor as they made their way out to Viktor’s shiny SUV. “That’s the difference between a human and a Synthetic. I’m programmed to face any challenge head on if it’s part of my primary functions. Yuri is my top priority, so becoming involved in his education, even if the teacher is unpleasant, is a must for me.”

Viktor smiled, glancing over at him as they drove. “Well I suppose that makes sense. You are going to be tutoring him after all.”

“Exactly. And you might as well get used to accepting that I’m right about most things.” Yuuri gasped at his sass and slapped a hand over his mouth as Viktor barked out a laugh. “Oh my god, I’m sorry. I should _not_ have said that. Clearly I’ve spent too much time around Chris.”

Viktor pulled them into a parking spot at the school. “It’s alright, I like it. You don’t need to change yourself for me. I rather like your sass.”

Yuuri gazed at him skeptically, but was forced to accept his words as Viktor hopped out of the car and strolled towards the school. There were several other parents picking up their children and Yuuri spotted two Synthetics as well. He sent them a little wave over the network, but other than a quick glance, the others ignored his greeting.

He sighed. “Gen 1’s,” he muttered.

“Hmm?” Viktor asked,  curiously.

“Gen 1 Synthetics are amazing, don’t get me wrong, but their AI has so many more restrictions than Gen 2’s like me. Almost all the Synthetics at headquarters have Gen 2 programming so I forgot for a moment that the Gen 1’s wouldn’t react the same.”

A couple of children exited the school then, heading towards the Gen 1’s. The first seemed happy, running to his Nanny with arms outstretched. The Synthetic’s stoic demeanor softened immediately as she pulled the child into her arms and they headed home. The other Synthetic was a different story. Yuuri watched as the boy approached his Synthetic and simply kept walking, the Nanny following silently behind him.

“That’s how I was expected to be,” Yuuri said softly. “There’s different settings for Gen 1’s based on how friendly you want them to be with your kids. The company is getting rid of it though because it’s damaging to the Synthetics and the children.”

“I can imagine so,” Viktor said softly, eyes narrowing as he watched the Synthetic walk off. “I would never want that.”

Yuuri nodded. “The kids hated it. They always wanted me to play with them but I knew if I did and their parents found out I’d be in trouble. Just homework, lessons, dinner and bed. They believed childishness was unnecessary.”

“Children should just be children,” Viktor scoffed, and Yuuri nodded in agreement. “There’s plenty of time for them to be adults when they’re older.”

“Mr. Nikiforov,” a voice called to them and they both turned towards the front door where a stern looking woman was striding towards them.

“Here we go,” Viktor muttered under his breath. “Ms. Ivanova. What can I do for you today?”

She thrust forward a plush tiger toy and Yuuri could see Viktor’s jaw tense as he took the toy. “I’ve told you, Yuri cannot bring his toys to school like this. It causes arguments with the other children. I was forced to confiscate it and he acted out all day over it. The scene he caused when I refused to give it to his babysitter...”

Yuuri felt his blood boil. Wasn’t it obvious to this woman what the problem was? Yuri was almost never apart from his father; of course he would bring a toy with him for comfort! And it’s not like Mila knew the rule. He stepped forward and held out his hand. “Hello, I’m Yuri’s new nanny. Yuri’s father was away on business last night so it’s likely his sitter simply didn’t know the policy. I’ll make sure this does not happen again. You don’t need to worry.”

He finished the declaration off with his most brilliant smile. He always felt it looked a little fake, but Chris had told him it was a good tool to use to get his way. It seemed to be working based on the slight temperature increase the teachers cheeks were experiencing, as well as to subtle dilation of her eyes.

“O-of course, Mister?”

“Just Yuuri is fine.”

“You have the same name?”

“Lucky coincidence,” Yuuri said with a nod, eyes cold as he stared down his nose at the foul woman. “I’ll make sure to check in with you tomorrow so we can go over any other rules you might need me to be aware of. I would do it now, but I'm afraid we must be going. We need to go pick-up Yuri as I’m sure he’s anxious to see his father so it’s best not to delay any longer, now is it?”

He didn’t bother waiting for her to answer. With a clipped bow he turned and walked back to the car, Viktor right behind whim, a barely suppressed smirk on his face.

“Told you.”

“How is someone that terrible with children a teacher?!”

Viktor snickered as they got back in the car, handing Yuuri the tiger plush. Yuuri hugged it to his chest, trying to find an outlet for his anger. He took a few deep breaths, watching out of the corner of his eye as Viktor stared at him. Finally, with a great sigh, he met his eyes.

“Are you ready to meet Yuri?” Viktor asked softly.

Yuuri felt himself stiffen as a sudden patch of nerves swirled with excitement. “Do you think he’ll like me?” Truthfully he wasn’t sure he’d ever wanted anything so bad. He clutched the tiger a little tighter.

Viktor smiled kindly before winking in a teasing manner. “You like skating and cats, and find peas to be vile. He’ll love you.”

Yuuri couldn’t help himself as he let a small giggle escape from his lips, earning him a look from Viktor that made his insides do funny things. He felt warmer all of a sudden.

 

* * *

 

Yuuri couldn’t help but internally fanboy a little as he gazed up at the rink where all of Russia’s top skaters trained. It was like a shrine to figure skating gods; a flow of images skimmed across his vision as his mind subconsciously ran through the long list of skaters who had trained here. Not just in the past, but present day as well. Viktor might be the power house, but there was a reason the Russian team had won the team gold at the last Olympics.

Viktor led him inside, a blast of cool air greeting them as they entered, making Viktor’s hair dance in its wake. Yuuri felt himself shiver even though he knew he wasn’t actually cold. Memories of winter pricked his brain and he fought hard to push them away, letting his feed be flooded with environmental statistics to divert his attention away from the unwanted thoughts.

The rink itself was huge, by far the biggest Yuuri had ever seen. Not that he’d seen many; just the small outdoor rinks that would pop-up around Christmas. He’d never been allowed to stop and look at them, his GPS closely monitoring his progress to make sure he behaved as he should.

Like a machine.

A sound broke through his consciousness before it was able to travel down that train of thought too far, the most important sound in the world to Yuuri — it was the sound of a happy child. Out on the ice skated Yuri with the current Ladies Worlds Bronze medalist, Mila Babicheva. Yuri was chasing the redhead around the rink, wearing what looked like a pair of tiger print mittens, giggling as Mila would just barely spin out of his grasp. Yuuri felt his whole world stop as several pieces of his being seemed to click into place.

Fingers gently grasped his own, and rather than startle him, they instead infused his whole being with warmth as he dazedly gazed up at Viktor who was smiling softly at him. “I know I said it already, but I suppose this is just as much home to us as our house; welcome home, Yuuri.”

Yuuri blushed slightly as his lips spread into a smile, eyes unable to break away from Viktor’s as he grew lost in that beautiful feeling of home that was only growing stronger with each passing minute. He’d always heard that home was much more than a building, and for the first time, he was beginning to understand what they meant.

“Papa!” They both turned towards the voice, Viktor’s face instantly breaking into a wide, heart-smile as Yuuri watched with wonder as the small boy dashed towards his father on his skates. Viktor met him at the opening to the rink and enveloped his son in a tight hug, peppering the top of his head with affectionate kisses.

“Were you good for Mila, Yurochka?”

“We made Piroshkies and I helped!”

“Oh you did, did you?” Viktor teased.

“Yup,” Mila said, skating up to them. “He even helped with the dishes and fed Potya this morning. But more importantly Viktor, what were _you_ up to?”

Yuuri could feel all eyes on him as the rink seemed to come to a stop. Mila was smirking curiously at him, a group of pairs skaters had not so subtly stopped skating, and across the ice he could see Georgi Popovich and Yakov Feltsman had halted their conversation to stare at him – Georgi with a look of curiosity on his face, while Mr. Feltsman narrowed his eyes. It was clear these skaters were a close-knit, protective bunch, and he was an unknown, and thus untrusted, entity.

“I was visiting Chris.” Viktor said simply, and several pairs of eyes widened, now focused on Yuuri.

“Whoa, really?” Mila whispered.

“Yup,” Viktor said with a smile, pulling Yuuri towards them as Yakov stepped forward.

“What is the meaning of this Vitya? You brought one of those, here?”

Viktor scowled, “Now Yakov–”

“Are you one of Uncle Chris’ friends?” Yuri asked, cutting off the uncomfortable moment with his clear, innocent eyes, staring a bit shyly at Yuuri.

Yuuri took a deep (though unnoticeable) breath and stepped forward, kneeling down by Yuri. “In a way, yes. Chris is probably my best friend, but he’s also like my Papa.”

Yuri hummed. “I understand. Papa is one of my best friends too. After Potya and Grandpa.”

Viktor made a pained noise and Yuuri smirked. “Only I’m a little bit different; I’m not made of skin and bones like you, but with wires and steel; I’m what’s called a Synthetic.”

“You mean like a robot?”

Yuuri nodded. “Yup. Uncle Chris made me so I could help you and your Papa. I know you both are so busy with your skating, so I’m here to help you with your chores, cooking, and your homework. Chris made me to be your friend, as well as someone you can trust just as much as your Papa, Grandfather, Yakov and Mila. All the adults who take care of you.”

Yuri’s eyes grew bigger. “Even Lilia?”

Yuuri wasn’t quite sure how to answer. “How do you mean?”

“Lilia is really strict, but she says hard work can make beautiful things, and that she is tough so that I’ll turn into something beautiful.”

Yuuri smiled. “Yes, then I suppose I am a bit like Lilia. Only I try to be as strong as I can be so I can help guide you as you grow.”

“You’re strong?”

“Yes, very.”

“Like a Superhero?”

Yuuri chuckled. “A bit. I can’t fly, but I could pick up something heavy.”

“Like Papa?”

“Hey!” Viktor pouted indignantly.

“Oh that’s easy,” Yuuri said with a wink, and with a flash he stood, scooped Viktor up in his arms and elevated him over his head in a perfectly steady lift. Viktor squealed in surprise while the rest of the skaters broke out into raucous laughter.

“Oh so like what I do to our little tiger when he’s bad!” Mila shouted, scooping Yuri up into her arms, lifting him over her head, earning her a chorus of bright giggles from Yuri.

Yuuri grinned, and gently lowered Viktor into his arms, holding him against his chest for just a moment more before he set him on his own feet. He couldn’t help but enjoy the feel of having the man in his arms as he stared into the crystal blue eyes that were sparkling and wide.

“I’m so gay,” Viktor whispered the moment he was righted, cheeks instantly flushing as he realized Yuuri most definitely heard him. Yuuri marveled at the way the tip of Viktor’s nose and ears pinked when he was embarrassed, filing that little detail away for later.

“Noted,” Yuuri whispered, giving him a small smile in return that had Viktor’s mouth opening into a tiny ‘O’ of surprise. Surely not that Yuuri could flirt back with him since Yuuri was literally programmed to do that, but maybe that he would? Was he even flirting? Yuuri wasn’t entirely sure – he’d never used those particular skills before – but suddenly, he wanted to.

His own blush grew as his heart fluttered in his chest, his ‘life-long’ crush and admiration for Viktor Nikiforov suddenly morphing into something new, something that Yuuri knew was completely beyond his programing.

But did Viktor want that? Did he want _that_ from Yuuri? And could Yuuri bear it if he didn’t?

Suddenly he felt a soft squeezing of his hand as Viktor gripped it gently, a soft smile on his lips, and his eyes, full of promise, as if to say ‘we can figure it out as we go.’

Yuuri nodded, and turned his attention back to his new charge just as Yakov finally broke up the tickle fight that seemed to have broken out while Yuuri was busy having his whole world view altered.

“So he’s one of those Nanny bots?”

Viktor nodded, gently nudging Yuuri forward.

Yuuri bit his lip before bowing, falling back into the Japanese habits that were ingrained in his programing. “Pleased to meet you all, my name is Yuuri, and I’ll be in your care from now on.”

“Hey, that’s my name!” Yuri said delightedly, holding his hand out to Yuuri.

Yuuri grinned and took the small hand in his own, giving it a soft shake. “I know, and I’ve heard you’re going to be the greatest skater in the world!”

“I am!” Yuri exclaimed brightly, as the other skaters started to move away, getting back to their work. Viktor and Yakov were talking quietly a few paces away about Viktor’s training. He’d been off for nearly a month, but with Team Trophy in a few days, he’d be off a little longer. Yuuri had read that he and Georgi traded off going every other year, and this was Viktor’s break year. Yakov, Georgi, Mila, and the Pairs team would all be leaving in two days time, leaving Viktor behind with a few assistant coaches, to keep an eye on the younger skaters. There was apparently a lot to do. Yuuri was fascinated by it all and vowed to soak up as much as he could from Viktor.

“Do you skate?” Yuri asked, breaking through Yuuri’s train of thought.

“I have never tried it, but from a technical point of view I should be able to. I’ve been watching your Papa skate so much my mind knows what to do.”

Yuri looked at him curiously. “So you can mimic anything you see?”

“To an extent. Like I said, I’ve never actually been on ice so putting the movements and balance together might be a bit tricky at first, but I’m sure I could learn, if I had a good teacher.”

Yuri seemed to almost shake with excitement. “I could teach you!”

Yuuri beamed at him. “I bet you could.”

“Right now?”

“We need to get Yuuri some skates first,” Viktor spoke up, coming over to them now. “I was thinking we could take him shopping tonight. I’ve heard we need some groceries, and Yuuri needs some clothes. We can get him fitted for his boots while we’re out and order some tonight. We don’t want him learning on shoddy rentals, now do we, Yura?”

Yuri shook his head vigorously. “No way. He’ll learn all sorts of bad habits with bad skates. Papa says so.”

“That’s right,” Viktor said, scooping Yuri up once more and wrapping his free arm around Yuuri’s shoulders, leading him back out to the doors. “And Papa is always right.”

“Not always,” Yuri pouted. “You say peas are good.”

“They are!”

“They aren’t,” Yuuri deadpanned. “But I suppose even you can’t _always_ be right.”

Viktor looked a little stunned, and Yuri giggled happily, reaching for Yuuri, who happily took him from Viktor.

“I like you, Yuuri,” Yuri declared.

“Well that’s good, cause I like you too.”

“Yeah but I mean I like you better than Papa.”

Viktor made a pained sound and Yuuri had to bite his lip to keep from cackling in amusement. “Well I’m honored, Yuri, though I’m sure I’ll eventually do something that’ll make you like Papa more than me.”

Yuri hummed in thought. “No, I think you’ll always be my favorite. After all, you have the same name as me.”

Viktor groaned again and Yuuri let himself laugh this time. “You have to admit, it’s sound logic.”

Viktor chuckled, shaking his head as he opened the door of the SUV for them both. “I suppose I’ll just have to learn to cope with being second best.”

“Fourth, Papa.”

Viktor thudded his head against the car door gently, moaning dramatically about being so unloved, his antics continuing the entire time they were buckling Yuri into his car seat.

Finally, when the boy was secured in his seat, Viktor shut the door and Yuuri grabbed his hand. “Thank you for giving me a home, Vitya.”

Viktor’s cheeks flamed to life again and he swallowed deeply before he nodded. “I don’t think I ever realized that it was missing something until just now.” It was Yuuri’s turn to blush, as they both stared at one another for a long moment before Viktor sighed happily. “Let’s go home, Yuuri.”

“Yes,” Yuuri whispered back, a sense of warmth filling the circuits of his soul. “Let’s go home.”

**Author's Note:**

> I know lots of people wanted to see when Yuuri and Yuri meet, so here you go! :) I love this AU and it's loads of fun writing this soft and fluffy family. Glad everyone's enjoying it so far.
> 
> Comments and kudos are much appreciated and prod me to write more. :) Thanks for reading!


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